Blog Challenges on a Sunday!

I have had great fun last night and this morning creating some 6x6" square cards to submit in 4 different Blog Challenges today and here they are in no particular order!

Over at Retro Sketches this is week 52 so we were asked to go back through the last year's challenges and pick one to do this week - I have chosen Retro Sketch #9.

 

My take on this sketch uses Craftwork Cards Sweet Pea papers and flowers with some purple jewellers cord and Craftwork Card Birthday message. I have used Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad in Dusty Concord around the edges of the card, flowers and message and some Worn Lipstick Distress Ink to colour the sentiment. Some Card Candi centres in the flowers and no glitter today... I might have to go back and rectify that!

My next Challenge Submission is for Seize the Birthday #7 Feminine Challenge.
Seize the Birthday are all about Birthday cards and getting a balance between masculine and feminine designs - I love their idea of the same sketch but for different gender!

 

My take on this sketch uses LillyBeeDesigns Victoria Park papers and 'My Mother's Dress' Rubber stamp - one of my favourites, i've had for years! I've added a Craftwork Cards sentiment and black organza ribbon. Edged the card in black ink and the image and sentiment in Worn Lipstick.

My next card I thought I would be able to enter into three challenges but when it was finished it had become more involved than I expected so I didn't think it suitable for a 'Clean and Simple' card challenge! This one is being entered into the Addicted to Stamps and More Theme Challenge #6, - 'Vintage', and Craft Room Challenge - 'Something for a Man'.

I have used a black base card and some black and white papers i found in my stash - if anyone knows what there are please let me know! I have tinted the papers with a 'Vintage Photo' Distress Ink Pad using a foam blending tool - keeping the tone uneven, darker in places, lighter in others. I cut some of the harlequin type paper, matted onto black card and wrapped with black jewellers cord. The Ticket and Car are Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous stamps in Tuxedo Black Memento ink - the car on white card tinted with vintage photo and edged in black. The tickets are kraft card with a Craftwork Cards birthday stamp in the centre one. Bit of black organza ribbon, some foam pads for definition and voila!

So, having decided this card was too detailed to be CAS I created a simpler version! This is my entry for Addicted to CAS #7 - code word Masculine.

 

The same harlequin paper and stamps were used, more vintage photo distress ink and black memento around the edges. Black jewellers cord around the card and a sentiment stamped onto a kraft ticket to finish - Clean and Simple.... I hope!

Mo xxx

Time to Sew! by Linda Walmsley

Well, i've got something a bit different to show you today!

My postman knocked the door at lunch time for a Special Delivery and knowing that i've not been naughty and bought anything for a wee while I had no clue what it was!!!

Until I saw the return name - L. Walmsley.... it rang a bell!

I dived into the brown cardboard box and pulled out the bubble wrap and tissue paper protecting a very beautiful purple - my favourite colour - handmade gift box. The box had a gorgeous purple seam binding ribbon around it secured with a flower - I didn't have the heart to open such a beautiful gift!

A card was enclosed from Linda thanking me for the comments i had made about the contents of the gift box - the card is stunning - take a look! These are all stamped images and the butterfly has been 3D'd by stamping onto acetate and folding so the wings sit up from the card - gorgeous!

And here's what was in the box when i finally undid the ribbon to have a peek!

 

Linda designed and created a bobbin shaped board book using Craftwork Cards papers and other products and the result is stunning!

This is just one of the pages from inside the book - its absolutely stunning and i'm thrilled to have won this!
I just need to put up a shelf and it will have pride of place in my crafting corner - high out of reach of my little darlings!

You can see more of this book and read the comment that won me the prize on the Craftwork Cards blog here.

Linda also very kindly enclosed some goodies for me to play with so I think that may keep me busy for a while - a template for a 'springing' card.... this is new to me - watch this space!

Mo xxx

Craftwork Cards Sweet Pea and Mojo Monday 281

Oh its a chilly wee day here - sun hasn't been out for more than a few minutes at a time and i've had the fire on in the living room for a wee blast of heat! Crafting with cold fingers is no fun at all!

I'll start todays post with my entry for this week's Mojo Monday Card Challenge. I dug out my Craftwork Cards Sweet Pea Sweetheart Buds Collection and thought i'd play around with those papers for some of this week's challenge cards.

So I was very literal in my interpretation of the Mojo Monday Sketch #281 even down to using a flower where they showed a flower! But you know by now I love my paper flowers! A wee bit of glitter on the petals to add a sparkle and a sentiment on there too.

I then moved onto a Circle card - now this was supposed to be my entry for the CAS on Sunday challenge from yesterday's blog, however, when i was finished, i really didn't think it was suitable for a 'Clean and Simple' challenge - too busy looking! Lots of patterned papers, paper flowet and sentiment. 

I had found my We R Memory Keepers Circle Cutter to make the base cards and cut the circles for the Mojo Monday card and was on a roll - more circles on this one!

 

This next card was just a quick simple make with some of the leftovers on a 6X6 card and i tried to use the frames a bit differently - rather than just framing the sentiment, i've tried to make them more of an embellishment here.

 

This final card used the scraps from where i had cut out the circles!  I cut them in line according to the pattern, lined them up in length order and trimmed the edges at an angle. A sentiment and some Start Dust Stickles complete the card.

Well, i've just received a box of stuff from Craftwork Cards - some sale items and a few bits and bobs - so i'm off to have a play with them! Hopefully have something new to show you in a day or two.... one or two things i've not tried before so quite excited! See you soon!

Mo xxx

Sarah Hurley Blog Hop Prize and CAS on Sunday #2

I won another prize! Sarah Hurley, illustrator and designer, hosted a blog hop recently in honour of the launch of her new website - sarahhurleydesigns.co.uk

On the hop, i decided that my favourite item in Sarah's online shop was her set of 3 hand drawn Rose digi stamps. As my prize, she very kindly sent me these stamps! Thank you so much Sarah - the roses are gorgeous! They can be found here!

I have never ever used a digi stamp! I rarely use rubber stamps! But i'm getting into this and loving it! I bought some Pro-markers and printed the bigger of the roses and set about colouring it just with what i had available.

I have used this stamp on this weeks CAS on Sunday blog Challenge.

The Challenge this week was called 'Making the Rounds' with theonly instruction being, make a round card - in a clean and simple manner of course!

I glued the image to a base card, added a red organza ribbon and stamped 'I love you.' with my Tuxedo black Momento pad. Very simple, stylish, and very much a first for me.

I'm happy with the results, I feel on reflection that I could have used a different colour base card - perhaps red or black. I think maybe not having the flower in the centre would have given more scope for other embellishments around the edges or perhaps down one side/along the bottom.....
So many ideas for the next one!

Mo xxx

WOYWW #194 And Retro Sketches Challenge #51

Busy, busy, busy... and tired! That's what i've been for the last week or so hence no posting from me!
So, to get back into the swing of things here's what's on my workdesk on Wednesday 20th of February, for WOYWW #194 over at Stamping Ground -

I've got my wee box of 6x6" paper pads out looking for some inspiration - I sometimes find that a paper i've not used for a while will spark some imagination in me and I can create something fab with it! My Retro Sketch challenge card for this week has dried over night so is sitting waiting to be entered and i've got a stamped image of 'My Mother's Dress' stamp waiting to be used. My new Pro-marker pack and stack of new Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pads are there if you look hard enough! And, i discovered that my Cricut and Cuttlebug will both sit happily together on top of the drawers.

So.... on to the Challenge card, Retro Sketch Challenge #51.

Ok, so I basically used the sketch to the letter! After seeing the sketch, I found this large paper flower and the little ones looking lost in a box so found some papers to match - the Craftwork Cards Glitter Candy Cane paper pad. Its a quick and simple card, some matting and layering with the 3d blooms glued in place and a stamped 'congratulations' on the bottom. My kind of style - quick and easy!

Mo xxx

Valentine's Day 2013

In honour of the Day of Love, i thought i'd share with you some of the Valentine cards i've made this year. This post will be picture heavy - enjoy!!!

 

This first card uses Red Mulberry paper and the waste from a Cricut Heart, small white heart and sentiment complete the card. This is my entry for this weeks (week 31) CASology Challenge.

 Some more cards in no particular order!

These first two use my trusty Cricut and have Star Dust Stickle accents on the lettering. A couple of Sizzix Lacy Heart embosslets adorn the 'boyfriend' card.

These two cards use a Spellbinders paisley M-Bossibilities for the background. The 'valentine' is cut from a Tim Holtz embossing folder and the hearts on the second card are cut by the Cricut.

 

The black and red card uses a quickcutz heart die and sizzix embossing folder with more red mulberry paper. 'For My Wife' was cut on the Cricut and I have used Craftwork Cards Sugarplum papers and flowers to decorate.

These next three cards are all made using the same Tim Holtz Sizzix Embossing Folder but in the different styles. This first is a vintage look with distressed boho papers from Craftwork Cards and matching mini blooms. The 'love' has been highlighted with Crackle Glaze - its not as brown as that in 'real life'!

 

 

 Some simple matting and layering of the embossed background for the second two cards. Stickles to highlight 'love' on the red and purple card and the Pink and Black was embossed onto Core-Dinations colour core paper and sanded - Glossy Accents has been used to highlight 'love' here this time.

 

 
An elegant metal heart and simple mat and layer make this a chic and simple card. The scalloped squares with random cut hearts was designed on the Cricut craft room and i think makes a simple, pretty card.

These last two use a set of Craftwork Cards stamps and papers - i just love how one set of stamps can look anyway you want it to just by changing the colours - simple and pretty here.


Busy day today, taking my youngest two to toddlers this morning and i've got a few challenges I want to work on later today - I'll show what I come up with.... well, if I come up with anything!
Thanks for reading!
Mo xxx

Pretty in Pink Wreath

One of my first blog posts talks about my winning a competition at Craftwork Cards, however, i had actually been a winner there a few weeks previously - I had made a comment on work by Karen Hayselden and been picked out the hat to win the prize that week. Karen very thoughtfully sent me more paper flowers!!! I got a beautiful set of 'oh-so-pink' blooms with matching ribbon and wreath - and some tunnel cards, but i'm still looking for inspiration with those!!! - so last night I sat and made a pretty pink wreath!

The wreath is chipboard, covered ina pink spotty paper, with red and pink organza ribbon tied through holes all the way round - with more ribbon to hand the wreath with. The finished wreath was sprayed several times with gold Spray and Sparkle to give it a glittery finish and the varnish makes the paper tougher!

These photos show close-ups of some of the flowers - these are made by layering up individual blooms, a pokey tool is used to shape the petals and roll the spirals in the centres. Some red card candi fill the other centres.

This is a picture of the first wreath i made using the Craftwork Cards Sugarplum Flower and Paper Pad - i have since ordered a second pad as i ran out of flowers!!

I love how the wreaths turn out and have ordered more chipboard circles - watch this space for more in different colours!

I will be back later today with some birthday cards.
Mo xxx

Bohemian Birdhouse and some other offerings from my jammie day!

I've not been very well this last week, and with baby up nursing more often as he's not well either, i've not slept well and by Saturday i was exhausted. However, up early with the kids, hubby made some awesome french toast, and rather than going back to bed for a couple of hours, i locked myself in my craft space and went to work on a few little projects.

I recently got some beautiful Birdhouse and Birdcage shaped cards in the Craftwork Cards Sale and decided that the Bohemian Goodie Bag also by CWC lends itself so well to these shaped cards. I made up lots of sparkly and non-sparkly mini blooms, cut out some birds and branches for decoration - a half candi for the wings! The inside is non-sparkly boho paper and outside the delisciously heavily glittered paper is just gorgeous!!!

Here's a close up of the blooms and i've added a 'birthday' message from CWC to the centre inside.

This is a small C6 card, again using the boho papers and a kraft birdcage die cut with some purpley ribbons. The paper has been distressed round the edges and coloured with an Anna Griffin Purple ink pad - its a light, subtle purple - i've used it on the message as well, although i might swap that out for a non-coloured one!

This last card was thrown together last night before bed - I hadn't realised till yesterday that the CWC Sweet Pea pads had flowers in them - i sprayed the back of a sheet with 'bubblegum pink' Glimmer Mist so the twisty flower wouldn't look so white! I cut some squares from the card stock, added flowers, candi and a sentiment from the pad. Some Star Dust Stickles to finish!

Hope you enjoy seeing the detail in the first card, i love making these flowers - but sometimes a quick and easy card like the last one, looks just as good!

Mo xxx

Challenge Entry - Chocolate Card!

Ok, so here goes - this is a quick, clean and simple card design and i'm entering it in three challenges today.

This is a 5"x7" card, i've shaped the corners, plain and patterned pink papers and a paper sticker boarder have been used - these were from a 6x4 creative pad by Pebbles Inc. The message is by Craftwork Cards from an old chocolate themed goodie bag i've had in my stash for ages!

The first challenge i'm entering is a Sketch Challenge by Freshly Made:

The second challenge is over at CAS-ual Fridays where the theme is 'Love Song' - Janet Jackson sang that 'the best things in life are free,... open your heart and see, true love comes for free'.... and other than my husband and kids, the only other thing i love as much.... is CHOCOLATE!!!!

And of course, the chocolate theme continues over to Addicted to CAS where the code word this week is 'CANDY'.

Hope you enjoy the card... now, where's my chocolate stash!?
Mo xxx

A double easel! First attempt!

Some of you might have noticed my white blank double easel card on the table in this week's WOYWW... well, last night i decorated it! I was inspired by a post on the Craftwork Cards blog showing a bobbin shaped board book done up with a sewing theme.

I dug out my Shabby Vintage Goody Bag from Craftwork Cards and a set of clear stamps that came with a Cardmaking and Papercraft issue a few months back and my trusty black StazOn.

I stamped some of the images onto the background papers - both plain and patterned - and then stamped the bobbin, scissors and tape measure onto kraft card, these were cut out and adhered with foam pads. 

The mannequin was also from the Shabby Vintage goody bag, coloured with Worn Lipstick distress ink with a bit of gold perfect pearls for a sheen - that you cant quite see!

Burgandy organza and a feather finish the first panel along with a smattering of Rock Candy distress Stickles.

The second panel has a CWC birthday message and gold frame tinted with the Worn Lipstick to match and faux black stitching around the card.

Matching papers and ribbon decorate the inside and the panels are held up with card Candi.

This is my first attempt at a double easel and i pretty much just went with it and didnt look at measurements or templates. I think next time i will plan my folds more carefully - i think even pushing the candi back abit so the panels stand prouder might help too.

Overall, i'm happy with the design, hope you like it too!
Mo xxx